Keeping up appearances or the dreams we live by? : an ethnography of hairdressing in the village of Mellieħa

Abstract

A first essential step to understanding the study, I have undertaken, is to contextualise it. A thorough description of the setting where my fieldwork took place will serve as an important framework for thinking. In my effort to provide a 'thick description' (Geertz, 1973 :6), I would have liked to delve into different contexts. Ranging from a physical description of Mellieha, followed by the actual social context, the religious context, the time context as well as the context of modern thinking. We cannot step outside the unique moment of time that houses us and shapes our view of the world beyond. My present day context inevitably shapes my thoughts and perceptions. Given my time and space limitations however, I will have to restrict my process of contextualisation, to a concise overview that will not be exhaustive, but hopefully it will serve as an effective prop and anchor for my work. In my fieldwork techniques, I follow closely Judith Okley' s methodology. Okley supports qualitative research methods. She believes in 'the totality of the experience' (Okley 1994:21). Being a full participant, immersing myself in the field, absorbing the minutest details, gave me the opportunity to learn. The non - arbitrary 'open-ended approach' (Okley 1994:20) advocated by Okley, encouraged me to supplement my ethnographic data with my feelings and intuition.